Inflatable rubber article provided with fiber cover and process for their production



. Long Sflk Fibres Sept..17, .1935. 1. DOROGI 2,014,426

A INFLATABLE RUBBER ARTICLES PROVIDED WITH FIBER COVER AND PROCESS FOR THEIR PRODUCTION Filed June 13, 1932 Adhes'we Layer ATTORNEYS.

' re umi- Sept. 17, less a 2,014,426

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE INFLATABLE RUBBER sa'rrdrlnrnovmnn wrrn rmnn covnn AND rnoorss ron 'rnsmrnonuc'rron ,Istvan Dorogi, Budapest, Hungary, assignor, by

. direct and mesne assignments; to Hungarian Rubber Goods Factory Limited, Budapest, Hungary Application June 13, 1932, Serial No. 617,069

' In Hungary May 4, 1932 '1 Claims. (cl. 46-37 Herefore the known rubber articles provided The sticking of the fibers to the article canbe with fiber covers, such as toys, air'cushions etc. efiected in several ways, preferably by applying a were coated with fibers of one and the same fiber cover consisting of the mixture of two or species, f. i. either with cotton fibers or with wool 3 more species of fibers. However experience has 5 fibers. This involved several disadvantages; e. g. shown that-by using such mixture certain kinds imitation skins made with fibers of one and the of fibers, such as for example wool, stick to the same species were far from being perfect. In adhesive layer in greater proportion than other view of the fact that most of the skins have two fibers, as for example artificial silk fibers. Conkinds of fibers, viz. the short and curly wool-fibers sequently by using a mixture of these two fibers and longer straight fibers, the so-called feltthe coated article obtains a character correspond- 10 fibers, the real character is in many'cases given to ing almost exclusively to one species of-fiber, while the skins by these latter fibers. For the imitathe eiIect of the other will be negligib'e or will tion of such-felt-fibers, only glossy fibers, such be apparent only to a small extent. For this reaas silk or artificial silk fibers are suitable; howson the different fibers must be applied in such ever the sole use of such fibers would render the cases, in suitable succession and proportion. For 15 coating of toys with a fiber cover too expensive. example, when using cotton and artificial silk This invention aims at eliminating the above fibers, acertain amount of artificial silk is stuck mentioned disadvantages in that the rubber aron at first and the cotton fibers are applied only ticle is coated with a fiber cover, consisting of a thereafter.

mixture of fibers of at least two kinds. /For ex-, An example of the method of carrying out the 20' ample a mixture of short and curly motton fibers invention is described hereafter. and of longer and substantially straight artificial The invention is illustrated in adiagrammatic silk fibers, gives to the fiber-cover a plush or skindrawing in which'Fig. 1 shows an inflated rubber like appearance, which, similar to most skins, sphere. mainly shows the character of the long'qflfelt- Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, having an ad- 25 fibers. By mixing the cotton and artificial silk hesive layer added thereto. I fibers in a suitable proportion it is possible to Fig. 3 is a view simiar to Fig.2, having ion obtain a rubber article having an appearance silk fibers adhered thereto. simulating that of pure artifical silk fiber-cover, Fig.4 is a view'similar to Fig; 3, having short without being compelled to apply expensive arti fibers adhered thereto. 30

ficial silk fibers only. An inflatable animal figure produced by stamp- It is advisable to apply the different kinds of ing from thin rubber sheets is provided after vulfibers having the same colour, except when concanization in its inflated state by dipping with a trastingcolour efi'ects are to be obtained at certhin adhesive layer. Preferably, a solution of a v tain places. It is possible to produce the fiber v'ulcaniza'ble material is used for this purpose and 35 cover, if required, with spots or patterns, by using particularly good results have been attained with two kinds of fibers, the colours of which differ a benzin solution of 20-25% concentration of rubonly .in shade. The felt-fibers in most of the' her products obtained in known manner by heat-- natural skins are darker than the short wool ing without. melting. After the evaporation of 40 fibers, and in use the worn appearance is'caused the solvent,-artiflcial silk fibers of an average40 by the lighter wool fibers becoming visible through length of 5-6 mm. are strewn on the rubber artithe dark colour of the long fibers, which have ole while it is kept inan inflated state, and about been diminished in number. According to the n- 50 gms. of fiber should be provided for an area of vention the wearing out of the fiber cover, is com- 1 m After removing the fiber lumbs and the pensated because the colour of the short fibers is excess fibers, the rubber article isplaced within a 45 i made the same or preferably somewhat darker "rotating drum which contains cotton fibers, and than that of the long fibers. The appearance oi the article is coated until its surface is covered the cover is not materially changed even if the with fibers. In addition to the above mentioned longer'fibers have partially fallen out. I artificial silk fibers, about 40 gms. of the short In most cases it is suificient to employ two kinds cotton fibers of 2-3 mm. length are required, per 50 of fibers, namely ,cotton and artificial silk or'wool, 1 m surface, for this purpose. The excess of and silk or cotton and animal hair, etc. Natufibers, which adhere only by loose felting are then rally in some cases more than two kinds of fibers removed from the adhering fibers by means of may be used, particularly for obtaining certain brushing, or by a blast of compressed air. The

' localefIects. rubber article is then vulcanized in the inflated s5,

phur-chloride, in order to firmly afiix the fibers. In order to produce a completed product which is durable and which has a suitable and ornamental appearance, the following method may be utilized.

The rubber article is coated with the fibers while the article is in the inflated state in order that the solvent may easily evaporate at all parts of the article, and SQJ that the adhesive layer should, as far as possible,:be distributed uniformly on the whole surface of the rubber. By spreading the fibers and by the treatment in the drum, the fibers are easily'applied to the whole surface of the article and the excess can be removed without difllculty. The amount of the applied fibers corresponds to the outer surface area of the in flated article, so that the increase of the outer surface area which may be caused by inflation,

sity of the fiber-cover. In the sulphurchlori devapour-process, which is the most suitable for vulcanizing the layer holding the fiber-cover, the inflated state of the article enables a uniform and quick vulcanization, whereas in the uninfiated state-especially in the case of rubber articles consisting of two or more sheets-it is difficult to vulcanize satisfactorily, during the normal time of vulcanization, those parts of thesheets which contact with each other. Between the various operations of the fiber coating process, the

rubber articles may be stored in their inflated state without danger of deterioration, while they r would stick to each other at their. adjoining parts very easily, if they were not inflated. Moreover the fiber cover may deteriorate, it may lose its Y uniformity, etc. v A vulcanizable rubber-like material is prefer- 4 ably used as the adhesive. Thereby the adhesive is not tacky on the completed article; it therefore holds the fibers. Besides this a esivedue'to its rubber like properties-does no become rigid vent the easy and independent movement of the fibers when the rubber article is extended by inflation. The products obtainedfrom-"rubberby ments and are therefore, as mentioned. above, very suitable for forming the adhesive layer onthe fiber cover according to the invention.

fected in the known manner by simultaneously coating several pieces, friction occurs on the one hand between the fibers themselves and on the other hand between the fibers and the rubber. 60

ing from such friction, apparently influence the correct position of the fibers in the adhesive, so that only a part of the fibers are located in the layer of binding material. This effect is particularly apparent in connection with the longer, less curly fibers, r. i. with artificial, an, animal hair, etc. and assists in obtaining the plushor skin-like appearance by means of these fibers.:

1 The above described detailsof the fiber coating process are of'course not indispensable for carout this operation. Other methods may also be devised without departing from the scope of the invention; thus quite simple articles may be treated in their uninflated state, or the rubber does not involve the least diminution in the denlayer, although it has great adhesive properties,

' after vulcanization, but remains-elastic to vulcanized rubber; furthermore it doesno1t pre-' heating without melting, and by vulcanization with sulphur chloride answer all these require- During the coating in the drum, which is ef- This friction, and the statical electricity -result'-' articles may be inflated during certain operations only. In such cases naturally simple strewing and brushing may be used for applying all the fibers instead of partially coating in the drum. Instead of cold vulcanization, heat vulcanization may also be used when applying suitable adhesive, or vulcanization may be eliminated. In

.- other words in following more or less the directions of the above example, the coating process may be regulated in accordance with the requirements to which the articles to be provided with 10 fiber cover have to answer.

Any kind of vegetable, animal or mineral fibers may be used for forming the fiber cover. The amount, length and colour of the different kinds of fibers should be chosen according to the requirement previously stated. The rubber articles, provided with the fiber covers 'may be subjected before or after vulcanization to an additional painting operation in known manner.

I claim:

1.1m inflatable rubber article having a coating of fibers, said fibers being composed of at least two difi'erent materials, the fibers of one material being longer than the fibers of another material of said mixture, the major part of said 25 coating being composed of'the relatively long fibers.

2. An inflatable rubber ,article having a coating of fibers, said fibers being composed of at least two difierent materials, the fibers of one 30' the relatively long fibers being substantially straight.

3. An inflatable rubber article having a coating of fibers, said fibers being composed of at least two diiferent materials, the fibers of one material being longex; than the fibers of another ma- 0 1 terial'of said mixture, the major part of said mixture being composed of the relatively long fibers, the relatively short fibers being made of tektile material.

4. An inflatable rubber article having acoat- 45 ing of fibers, said coating comprising fibers of two difi'erent materials and the fibers of said mate,-

rials being of diflerent lengths, the fibers of one material being located between the fibers of the other material, the major part of said coating being composed of the relatively long fibers. Y "5. A rubber article having a coating of fibers, said fibers being composed of at least two difi'erent materials, the fibers of one material being longer than the fibers of another material of said mixture, the longer fibers having only portions thereof connected to said article.

6. A rubber article having a coating of fibers, said fibers being composed of atleast two'difi'erent materials, the fibers of one material being longer than the fibers of another material of said mixture, the longer fibers havingsonly portions thereof connected to said article, said fibers being connected to said article by vulcanized rubber g5 binding material. e

7. A rubber article having a coating ,dffibers, said fibers being composed of at leash/two different materials, the fibers of one being longer than the fibers of another material 'or said 7 mixture, said fibers having only portions thereof IsrvAnDoRoar. 

